BebeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener Vs Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope

These two products are similar in nature, with one being electronic and the other manual. One of them serves its purpose much better than the other, but unfortunately it is the less widely known product. Both devices are intended for listening to the sounds made within a mother's womb, mainly the child's heartbeat. Both products are very neat, as it is such a joy to be able to listen to your baby in the comfort of your own home. That private experience is much more beautiful than listening in the doctor's office.

The BeBe Sounds Prenatal Heart Listener is a battery-operated gadget. It comes with a pair of headphones and a recording cable. You can turn the volume up from one to 5, and you listen to the noises through the headphones. You can record what you hear to play it back later or email it to friends and family. You'll hear electronic renditions of the real thing in the third trimester, hopefully.

The Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope is a special stethoscope designed for listening to fetal heart tones. There are a variety of fetoscopes on the market, including some highly advanced, very expensive models. This fetoscope is very basic and affordable with 22" tubing that can be shortened. It is similar to the more expensive Allen Series 10, though not as nice. You'll hear the real thing in the second trimester.

Their prices are about the same. The BeBe Sounds Prenatal Heart Listener currently costs $19.99 at Wal-Mart. I requires a 9-volt battery, which will probably run about $5. The Allen Economy Fetoscope costs $20 at Cascade.com. I paid $7 for shipping and handling. These are both far less expensive than Dopplers. You can buy these products at other places, but they may cost more in those locations.

The BeBe Sounds Prenatal Heart Listener claims you can hear noises starting at the beginning of your third trimester. I never heard anything but static right up until I delivered. Many people complain that this product does not work. However, there are some people that have had wonderful luck with it. I tried it with my first child because it was given to me as a gift, and it never worked for me. It is now collecting dust on a shelf.

The Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope, or fetoscope, can be used to hear fetal heart tones as early as 18 weeks. I was 19 weeks when I was able to pick up noises. I easily found my placenta, which made a whooshing noise. I could hear many noises within the womb, including the sound of my child's movement. The heartbeat can be hard to find, as it is dependent on the position and location of the baby. However, I heard it loud and clear--a fast tapping sound.

The Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope is the superior product by far, but so few people know about it. Many people spend the money on a BeBe Sounds Prenatal Heart Listener only to be disappointed, but very few have bad luck with a fetoscope. The Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope can be used a lot sooner, generally in the second trimester. Most do not hear a sound with the BebeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener until their late third trimesters--if at all.

The Allen Economy Fetoscope does not require a battery as it is not electronic. It's design is what makes it functional, not electricity. If you do hear noises with the BeBeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener, they are electronic versions of the real thing. Comparing one to the other is like comparing the music on the CD to music played live at a concert. The latter is better. With the fetoscope, you are hearing your baby's actual heartbeat--not an electronic playback.

Their appearances are quite different. The BeBeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener is white and baby blue, a cute combination of colors. The Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope is black and not nearly as attractive. Nevertheless, it is the better buy. You sacrifice a prettier appearance for better functionality. When shopping for a device such as this, functionality is definitely more important. One has the attractive appearance of a baby gadget, and the other has the look of a medical instrument--as that is what a fetoscope is.

Both products are easy to use, though I find the fetoscope a bit easier. I don't have to untangle a cord or get the volume just right. I also don't have to try to pick up noises through static. The fetoscope is better even for a beginner. You use it much the same way as you would a stethoscope. You don't have to be trained to use either. You press it to your belly in different locations until you pick up the sounds for which you are searching. Then you count the number of heart beats in thirty seconds and multiply by two, just as you would your pulse.

Many nurses, doctors, and midwives use fetoscopes to listen to the fetus. No medical professional would rely on a fetus with a BeBeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener with technology like Dopplers and fetoscopes available. Mothers who are birthing unassisted chose the Allen Economy Fetoscope to do their prenatal monitoring of the heart rate and to listen during labor to ensure fetal distress is not occurring.

You can have the Allen Economy Fetal Stethoscope and the BeBeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener for about the same price. With the fetoscope you are getting a hospital quality device that won't let you down. You may not pick up a heart tone at 19 weeks, as I did, but by 22 weeks you should definitely be able to hear something. The fetoscope is much more reliable and overall a much better product.

The one very cool thing about the BeBeSounds Prenatal Heart Listener is that you can record the sounds you hear. You can email the heartbeat to your loved ones and play it back years from now. You can also record your heartbeat and play it to your newborn. This is all assuming, however, that you can hear anything with this product at all. You may, and you may not. The Allen Economy Fetoscope is a sure thing, but it doesn't have this option.

If you want a cute device that may possibly be able to record the sounds it picks up, you should go with the BeBe Sounds Prenatal Heart Listener. You're taking a chance though. With the Allen Economy Fetoscope, you can hear heart tones much sooner and much more clearly. It is a guarantee. It is just as easy to use, and it is a hospital quality device used by medical professionals. Spend your money on the Economy Fetal Stethoscope, and you won't be disappointed. I've tried both, and I can attest that the fetoscope is a much better buy.